In the current production of The Tragedy of Hamlet at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre, there’s a moment that will be etched in my memory for some time to come — when Suzy Eddie Izzard wraps up her Hamlet’s first soliloquy.
You will recall that in this famous “Too, too, solid flesh” speech, the prince laments his mother’s sudden remarriage to his uncle Claudius, concluding, as all Hamlets do, with the traditional line “But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.”
Izzard does this drawing a dagger-shaped nail, painted in vivid blood red, across her throat.
This Hamlet knows what’s at stake, from the very beginning.
And it is in the finer details, like this one, crafted with great skill, that Izzard’s Hamlet excels. Directed by Selina Cadell and with ample insights provided by movement director Didi Hopkins, Izzard gives us a one-actor version of this greatest of tragedies that is filled with surprises and touching insights. With more than one nod and wink to the audience, drawn into the action from the very beginning.
Izzard describes the play as the story of a family tearing itself apart, set in a country tearing itself apart; creating a cast of 20-plus characters, adopting any number of dialects and physical carriages, this familiar tale takes on new relevance especially here, at the epicenter of our American calamity. The subtlety involved in a one-actor show of this scale is intricate indeed, and here we have an actor who is more than up to the task.
What’s refreshing, too, is Izzard’s sense of humor, both verbal and physical. There are so many moments to choose from — ironic line readings, pregnant pauses at just the right moment — but for my money, her take on Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern is a highlight (and no, I’m not going to spoil it for you, you’ve got to see it for yourself). She even manages to make the grave-diggers funny, and in my experience, this is the toughest of all tough sells.
Costume designer Libby Da Costa has decked out Izzard in a somewhat martial-looking Renaissance-style peplum, which suits the mood here, and serves the constant switching between male and female characters. Eliza Thompson’s music, meanwhile, evokes the many moods, doing so with an acoustic feel that humanizes the action. And perhaps it’s the season, but set and costume designer Tom Piper’s spare set, stucco white with hints of cherry-blossom pink, creates an atmosphere that is at once inviting and austere, with slim windows reminiscent of those medieval arrow slits along the castle’s ramparts. Tyler Elich’s lighting, by turns moody and shocking, heightens the tension at every turn.
Izzard cut her teeth as a street performer, competing with all the sights and sounds of Covent Garden for the attention of random passersby. This experience serves her brilliantly here, as she creates a Hamlet for our times — times as seemingly dark as those evoked by the Bard himself. Her brother, Mark Izzard, has edited and adapted the script, and with a few strategic changes in vocabulary gives us a story that — mirabile dictu — doesn’t require any knowledge of Early Modern English to understand. Many key phrases, which elsewhere sound like so much Elizabethan Muzak, ring true and vividly here, thanks to his work.
Running Time: Two hours and 15 minutes, including intermission.
Eddie Izzard’s The Tragedy of Hamlet plays through April 11, 2026, in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theater, 450 7th St NW, Washington, DC. Tickets start at $90 and are available online and at TodayTix.
The Tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Adapted by Mark Izzard
Directed by Selina Cadell
Credits for The Tragedy of Hamlet world tour are online here.
SEE ALSO:
STC announces limited engagement of Eddie Izzard’s ‘Hamlet’ (news story, November 20, 2025)
Eddie Izzard’s one-person ‘Hamlet’ suits the action to the word at Off-Broadway’s Greenwich House (review by Deb Miller, February 11, 2024)
